Combining Similar Trajectories and XGBoost via Residual Learning for Traffic Flow Forecasting

Abstract

In this study, we propose novel hybrid forecasting models that integrate the method of similar trajectories with machine learning techniques, particularly the XGBoost algorithm, for traffic flow prediction. Traditional statistical models, such as ARIMA, often struggle to accurately capture the complex, non-linear patterns characteristic of traffic flow data. To address these limitations, we develop an additive hybrid forecasting framework that combines the strengths of linear models (similar trajectories method) and non-linear models (XGBoost). Our proposed methods are evaluated on two different stations from the California PEMS dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid models consistently outperform individual benchmark models, including ARIMA, standalone similar trajectories, and XGBoost. The superiority of the hybrid approach, particularly the XGBST model, is further validated through the Diebold-Mariano statistical test, confirming significant predictive improvements at various significance levels. Additionally, using weighted Euclidean distance within the similar trajectories method further enhanced forecasting accuracy. The interpretability and flexibility of our hybrid framework make it especially suitable for practical implementation in traffic management systems. These findings underline the effectiveness of hybrid modeling strategies in traffic flow forecasting and suggest future research directions, such as comprehensive hyperparameter optimization and broader validation across diverse datasets. © 2025 IEEE.